Valve cartridge



0 United States Patent [1113,548,875 [72] Inventor Carmen J. Lagarelli[56] References Cited New Castle, Del UNITED STATES PATENTS fif 3 19692,845,948 8/l958 Parker l37/625.41X [2 1 3,387,631 6/1968 Pecisl37/625.l7 [45] Patented Dec. 22,1970 [73] Assignee Speakman CompanyPrimary Examinerl-larold W. Weakley Wil i D l, Attorney-Connolly andHutz a corporation of Delaware 3 ABSTRACT: Valve cartridge comprisesvalve casing with rotatable and reciprocal valve element inside casingand valve stem extending from casing. At least one inlet port in casing[54] communicates wlth valve element Improvements comprise a sealmgassembly at Inlet port in casing and lower stem seal [52] US. Cl.l37/625.l7, Inlet sealing assembly Includes washer that bears agamstvalve l37/625.4l 137/4542: 25 1/214, 25 1/262 element and reslllent chpthat retalns washer agarnst valve ele- [5]] Int. Cl. F161: 11/00 mentLower stem seal Includes bushing arranged to snugly [50] Field of Search/454.2, recelve lower end of valve stem and retamer attached to valveVALVE CARTRIDGE BACKGROUND OF THE'INYENTION The present inventionrelates to a valve cartridge, and more particularly to improved seals atthe inlet ports and the lower stem area of the cartridge.

Prior to the present invention numerous valve cartridge designs havebeen proposed for use in plumbing fixtures of the type that includesingle operator handles. As is well known, manipulation of the operatorhandle of such' a'fixture controls the rate of flow of the dischargefluid as well as the temperature of that fluid. Usually, the valvecartridge includes a valve casing with a pair of diametrically opposedinlet ports therein, one for hot water and the other for cold. Theseports open into the interior of the valve cartridge casing where arotatable and reciprocal mixing valve element is located. The valveelement is connected to the operator handle and. includes perforate andimperforate portions. Depending upon the position of the valve elementwith respect to the inlet ports various flow and temperature conditionsmay be obtained. When the imperforate portion of the valve elementblocks one of the inlet ports fluid flow into the valve cartridge onlyoccurs at the unblocked port. Likewise, when both ports areblocked noflow occurs.

It is important that the inlet ports inthe valve casing of the cartridgebe properly sealed to prevent leakage. Although rings have been utilizedto seal the inlet ports, assembly procedures require special handling ofthese O-rings especially when the valve cartridge is inserted into thetight fitting valve housing or body of the fixture being assembled.Often, the O-rings surrounding the inlet ports are dislodged, nicked orcut during assembly of the fixture. Such damage or misalignment destroysthe required seal at the inlet ports.

The lower stem area of the valve cartridge must also be properly sealedfor efficient and maintenance free operation of a single operatorfixture. As is well known, the lower stern area of a mixing valve isextremely important from the standpoint of producing a balancedvalveunder all flow conditions. Without a sealed lower stem-the crosssection of the stern would present'a surface area against which fluidpressure acts to produce a force imbalance which tends to drive thevalve elementin an upward direction. However, by providing a seal forthe lower stem of the valve element the upwardly and downwardly facingsurface areas exposedto the fluid pressure are equal and theforcesgenerated by the pressure acting on these surfaces balance out. Thus, itis necessary to effectively seal the lower stem of the valve element toprevent fluid pressure from acting upon the lower end "of the valvestem. In the past, O-rings havebeen utilized to seal'the lower stem ofthe valve element but these sealing arrangements are associated withstructure integral or otherwise attached to the tight fitting valvehousing or body into which the valve cartridge is'inserted duringassembly of the fixture. With such heretofore available arrangements,when the valve, cartridge is removed for maintenance or replacementthelower stem sealing construction remains behind with the valve housingor body. In many-instances, malfunction of the fixture is caused by adefective or worn out lower stem seal. Accordingly, when the removedvalve cartridge is replaced malfunction of the fixture continues due to'the defective lower stern seal. Costly replacement of the valve housingor body is then required which in many instances isnot feasible becauseof mechanical ties between the valve housing and the remainder of thefixture.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a valvecartridge with a unique arrangement for sealing the inlet ports in thecartridge casing in a highly beneficial and economical manner. I a

Another object of the present invention is to provide an inlet sealingassembly which is easily and effectively attached to a valve cartridgecasing at the inlet port area of the casing.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a Anotherobject of the present invention is to provide a lower stem seal whichremains with the valve cartridge when the cartridge is removedformainten ance or replacement.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In accordance with the present invention, avalve cartridge is provided comprising a valve casing with a rotatableand reciprocal valve element inside the casing and a valve stemextending therefrom. At least one inlet port is located in the casingcommunicating with the valve element. A sealing assembly at the inletport includes a washer bearing against the valve element and a resilientclip releasably secured to the exterior of the casing for retaining thewasher against the valve element. A lower stem seal includes a bushingconstructed and arranged to receive the lower end of the valve stem anda retainer attached to the valve casing for supporting the bush ing infixed spaced relationship away from the casing.

The sealing assembly at the inlet port in the casing may include awasher of composite construction including an antifriction membercontacting the valve element inside the casing and a resilient backermember secured to the antifriction member. Moreover, the resilientclip'of the inlet sealing as sembly may have a pair of outwardlyextending arms that radiate away from the inlet port in oppositedirections with an inwardly extending projection at the end of each arm.Cutouts in the exterior of the valve casing are constructed and arrangedto receive the outwardly extending arms and inwardly extendingprojections of the resilient clip to releasably secure the clip to thecasing.

The lower stem seal for the valve stem may be constructed and arrangedso that the retainer portion is snap-fitted onto the valve casing.Additionally, the retainer of the lower stem seal has openings whichcommunicate with the interior of the valve casing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING Novel features and advantages of thepresent invention in addition to those mentioned above will becomeapparent to those skilled in the art from a reading of the followingdetailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawingwherein:

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of a valve cartridge according to thepresent invention;

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the valve cartridge shown inFIG. 1; I

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line 3-3 of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along line 4 -4 of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION the valve cartridge 10 isincorporated. T he valve cartridge inlower stern seal that effectivelyseals the lower stern of the rotatable and reciprocal'valve element of avalve cartridge.

cludes a valve casing 12 molded as a single unit by techniques known inthe art, such as injection molding, for example. The valve cartridgecasing may be fabricated from numerous materials includingpolyformaldehydes, and more particularly,

otherwise directing incoming hot and cold water to the inlet ports 14,16 in the valve casing 12. The valve housing 18 also includes additionalsurface waterways for channeling the discharge water away from thecartridge. As shown best in FIG. 1 and 2, the valve casing has a lateralprojection at the upper end thereof which fits into a slot (not shown)in the valve housing 18 when the cartridge is inserted into the housing.Thus, when the cartridge is fitted into the housing the hot and coldsurface waterways therein are automatically aligned with the hot andcold inlet ports in the valve casing 12. As is well known, the hot andcold surface waterways of the valve housing are connected tosuitable'sources of hot and cold water.

A diagonal O-ring 22 is positioned within a diagonal groove 24 on theexterior of the valve casing 12, as shown best in FIGS. 1 and 2. Upperand lower O-rings 26, 28 are also positioned on the exterior of thevalve casing 12 above and below the inlet ports 14, 16. The diagonalO-ring 22 and the upper and lower O-rings 26, 28 function to effectivelyseal the hot inlet port 14 from the cold inlet port 16. Additionally,O-rings 26, 28 prevent water leakage from between the valve housing 18and the exterior of the valve casing 12.

A rotatable and reciprocal mixing valve element 30 located inside thevalve casing 12 includes a cylinder 32 and a hollow valve stem 34 withupper and lower portions 36, 38, respectively. The valve element 30rotates and reciprocates in response to rotatable and reciprocalmovement of the operator (not shown) which is conveniently connected tothe exposed uppermost end of the valve stem. The cylinder 32 hasperforate and imperforate portions 40, 42, respectively. The

openings 44 in the perforate portion of a cylinder 32 are arranged inpredetermined manner so as to obtain a variety of discharge rates andmixtures of hot and cold water. Under flow conditions the openings 44 inthe perforate portion of the cylinder 32 are in alignment with the hotand cold inlet ports 14, 16 in the valve casing 12. When the valveelement 30 is positioned at the lower extent of its downward motion thehot and cold ports 14, 16 are closed by the imperforate upper portion 42of the cylinder 32. However, when the mixing valve element 30 ispositioned upwardly relative to the valve casing 12 the openings 44 inthe perforate portion 40 of the cylinder communicate with the inletports l4, l6. Rotation of the cylinder through manipulation of theoperator provides various combinations of hot and cold water includingall hot and all cold. This is accomplished by aligning selected openings44 in the cylinder with the hot and cold inlet ports 14, 16. Moreover,the discharge rate of water flowing through the fixture in which thevalve cartridge 10 is incorporated is regulated by the elevation of thecylinder 32 relative to the inlet ports 14, 16. In this regard, thedischarge rate increases to a maximum as the cylinder 32 moves to themaximum extent of its upward travel inside the casing.

Each of the inlet ports 14, 16 in the valve casing 12 is effectivelysealed by an inlet sealing assembly 46. This assembly functions toprevent water leakage between the interior surface of the valve casing12 and the exterior surface of the cylinder 32. Each inlet sealingassembly 46 comprises a composite washer 48 including an antifrictionmember 50 contacting the exterior surface of the cylinder 32 and aresilient backer member 52 bonded or otherwise secured to theantifriction member. The backer member may be fabricated of rubber orsimilar rubberlike material, and the antifriction member may be made ofTeflon or other well-known lubricating resins. Each composite washer 48is maintained in position at one of the inlet port areas of the valvecasing 12 by a resilient clip 54 which fits over the composite washer48, as shown best in FIG. 4. The clip has a pair of diametricallyopposed outwardly extending arms 56 and the end of each arm is bentinwardly to form a projection 58. The composite washer '48 and the mainbody portion of the resilient clip 54 have approximately the sameinternal and external diameters, and the external diameter isapproximately equal to that of the inlet ports in the casing 12.

Each of the inlet areas in the valve casing 12 includes a pair ofopposed recessed portions or cutouts 60 for receiving the arms 56 of theresilient clip 54. The valve casing also has an inwardly projectingcutout 62 at the'end of each recessed portion 60, as shown best in FIG.4. The cutouts 62 accommodate the inward projections 58 at the ends ofthe arms 56 to anchor the resilient clip 54 to valve casing 12.

Assembly of the inlet seals is quite simple. After the mixing valveelement 30 is positioned inside the valve casing 12 the compositewashers 48 are inserted into the inlet portsl4, 16 so that theantifriction member 50 of each washer is positioned against the exteriorsurface of the cylinder 32. Each composite washer is maintained I inposition by one of the resilient clips 54 which is simply snapped intoplace on the exterior of the valve casing. The arms 56 and theprojections 58 fit into the similarly dimensioned cutouts 60, 62 in thevalve casing 12 to hold the clips in place and thereby maintain thewashers in sealing relationship with the cylinder 32.

As explained above, the lower end portion 38 of the valve stem 34 mustbe sealed to maintain the valve balanced under all flow conditions,particularly under full flow when the fluid pressure is maximum. Thelower stem seal 64 of the present invention comprises a retainer 66 anda bushing 68 fabricated from any suitable antifriction material such asTeflon, for example. The retainer may be molded and/or machined frommetal or thermoplastic material. For the most part, the retainercomprises an annular collar 70 which snaps onto the lower end of thecartridge casing 12 by purposely providing a force fitting relationshipbetween an annular bead 72 on the casing and an inward annularprojection 74 on the retainer 66. The retainer 66 also includes acylindrical lower portion 76 with an open lower end 78. A frustoconicalintermediate portion 80 functions to integrally connect the annularcollar 70 to the cylindrical lower portion 76. The frustoconicalintermediate portion of the retainer is interrupted by trapezoidalshapedopenings 82 through which water is discharged from the cartridge 10under flow conditions. The Teflon bushing 68 surrounds the lower portion38 of the valve stem .34 and snugly engages an O-ring 83 on the stem.Upward movement of the bushing with the valve stem as the cylinder 32reciprocates is prevented by an annular flange 84 on the bushingwhichabuts the cylindrical lower portion 76 of the retainer at the openend 78 of the cylinder, as best shown in FIG. 3. Downward movement ofthe bushing relative to the valve element 30 is prevented by an upperannular flange 86 on the bushing which abuts the cylindrical portion 76of the retainer, as als: best shown in FIG. 3. Movement of the bushingin a downward direction is further prevented by engagement of thebushing with the valve housing 18, assuming of course that the housingis designed to abut the lower closed end of the bushing when thecartridge is fitted into the housing. The interior space in the bushing68 directly below the lower stem portion 38 is vented via a longitudinalpassageway in the stern and the vent hole 88 to facilitate thereciprocal movement of the valve stem inside the bushing.

The lower stem seal 64 operates to maintain balanced conditions underall flow rates. Additionally, since the lower stem seal is connected tothe valve casing 12 removal of the valve cartridge 10 from within thevalve housing 18 necessarily removes the lower stem seal. Replacementand/or repair of the valve cartridge 10 is easily accomplished andattention may be directed to the lower stern seal without removing thehousing 18.

I claim:

1. In a valve cartridge comprising a valve casing with a rotatable andreciprocal valve element inside the casing and a valve stem extendingtherefrom, and at least one inlet port in the casing communicating withthe valve element, the improvement comprising a sealing assembly at theinlet port in the casing including a .washerbearing against the valveelement and a resilient clip releasably secured to the exterior, of thecasing for retaining the washer against the valve element, and a lowerstem seal for the valve stem including a bushing constructed andarranged to receive the lower end of the valve stem and a retainerattached to the valve casing for supporting the bushing in fixed spacedrelationship away from the casing.

2. The combination of claim 1 in which the washer of the inlet sealingassembly has a composite construction including an antifriction membercontacting the valve element inside the casing and a resilient backermember secured to the antifriction member. i

3. The combination of claim 1 in which the resilient clip includes apair of outwardly extending arms that radiate away from the inlet portin opposite directions and an inwardly extending projection at the endof each arm, and cutouts in the exterior of the valve casing constructedand arranged to receive the outwardly extending arms and inwardlyextending projections of the resilient clip to releasably secure theclip to the casing. V

4. The combination of claim 3 in which the washer of the inlet sealingassembly has a composite construction including an antifriction membercontacting the valve element inside the casing and a resilient backermember secured to the antifriction member.

5. The combination of claim 1 in which the retainer of the lower stemseal is snap-fitted onto the valve casing.

6. The combination of claim 5 in which the retainer of the lower stemseal has openings communicating with the interior of the valve casing.

7. In a valve cartridge comprising a valve casing with a rotatable andreciprocal valve element inside the casing and a valve stem extendingtherefrom, and at least one inlet port in the casing communicating withthe valve element, the improvement comprising a sealing assembly at theinlet port in the casing including a washer bearing against the valveelement and a resilient clip releasably secured to the exterior of thecasing for retaining the washer against the valve element.

8. The combination of claim 7 in which the washer of the inlet sealingassembly has a composite construction including an antifriction membercontacting the valve element inside the casing and a resilient backermember secured to the antifriction member.

9. The combination of claim 7 in which the resilient clip includes apair of outwardly extending arms that radiate away from the inlet portin opposite directions and an inwardly extending projection at the endof each arm, and cutouts in the exterior of the valve casing constructedand arranged to receive the outwardly extending arms and inwardlyextending projections of the resilient clip to releasably secure theclip to the casing.

10. The combination of claim 9 in which the washer of the inlet sealingassembly has a composite construction including an antifriction membercontacting the valve element inside the casing and a resilient backermember secured to the antifriction member.

11. ln a valve cartridge comprising a valve casing with a rotatable andreciprocal valve element inside the casing and a valve stem extendingtherefrom, the improvement comprising a lower stem seal for the valvestem including a bushing constructed and arranged to receive the lowerend of the valve stem and a retainer attached to the valve stem forsupporting the bushing in fixed spaced relationship away from thecasing.

12. The combination of claim 11 in which the retainer of the lower stemseal is snap-fitted onto the valve casing.

13. The combination of claim 12 in which the retainer of the lower stemseal has openings communicating with the interior of the valve casing.

